Near Perugia: Etruscan Tombs, Wine, Ceramics & More
About 5km (3 miles) south of Perugia, on the road to Foligno but still in Perugia's suburbs, you'll see the Ipogeo dei Volumni (tel. 075-393-329; www.archeopg.arti.beniculturali.it; Sept-June daily 9am-1pm and 3:30-6:30pm; July-Aug daily 9am-12:30pm and 4:30-7pm), a tomb of the late Etruscan era that was used from the mid-2nd century to the mid-1st century B.C., the era of ascending Roman authority. This is one of the finest Etruscan tombs in Italy, built like a house underground and still set with its cinerary urns. The ashes of Arunte Volumni, the father of the clan buried here, rest in the central travertine urn carved with his effigy, reclining in true Etruscan style. His daughter's effigy, however, shows a seated lady after the Roman fashion, an indication of the increasing influence of the Latin conquerors on local customs. Unlike other tombs of this style, it's decorated with carved reliefs -- Medusa heads, dolphins, and owls -- rather than paintings. Admission is 2€ ($2.60). If your group is larger than five, you must reserve ahead through the Soprintendenza Archeologica per l'Umbria (tel. 075-572-7141). You can also take the bus from Perugia's Piazza Garibaldi; it's the one headed for Ponte San Giovanni. (The bus doesn't always stop here, so let the driver know where you're going.)
Torgiano, 15km (9 miles) south of Perugia, is celebrated for its wines, considered the best in Umbria. The top label is the complex red Rubesco Riserva, produced by the local estates of the Fondazione Lungarotti (www.lungarotti.it), whose vintages were formulated by contemporary wine guru Giorgio Lungarotti. Although he used modern techniques and experimental methods to concoct his excellent reds and vin santo, Lungarotti was also in touch with the region's oenological roots and founded a Museo del Vino (Wine Museum), set up in the Palazzo Baglioni at Corso Vittorio Emanuele 11 (tel. 075-988-0200). It's one of the best didactic collections of its kind (perhaps the only one, come to think of it), fascinating even for those mildly interested in viticulture. Admission, 4€ ($5.20) adults and 2.50€ ($3.25) children under 6, includes a hand-held audiovisual guide in English. It's open daily from 9am to 1pm and 3 to 6pm (until 7pm in summer). The nearby hotel/restaurant complex Tre Vaselle (tel. 075-988-0447; fax 075-988-0214; www.3vaselle.it) also belongs to the wine estate and serves exquisite Tuscan fare in a refined dining room (pricey, but worth it). It also offers upscale guest rooms rambling through several 17th-century buildings; doubles go for 185€ to 210€ ($241-$273), suites for 250€ ($325). The hotel has an indoor and outdoor pool and a large conference center.
Another 5km (3 miles) down the road is a ceramic production center that has been one of Italy's most famous since the 14th century, the crafts town of Deruta. The town has, for some reason, closed down its tourist office (which used to be located at Piazza dei Consoli 4), and locals don't seem sure they'll bother opening one back up again. Meantime, the town's website, www.comune.deruta.pg.it, has some good info.
Large modern factories now crank out huge numbers of assembly-line plates, bowls, and vases in traditional colors and patterns, and that is what's hawked behind the plate-glass windows of the large showrooms forming a phalanx along the new town's main drag below the highway. The merchandise is usually pretty good quality, but if you explore the back roads in the Old Town, you can find true artisans hand-painting ceramics they've tossed on foot-powered wheels. My favorites are the traditionalists Deruta Placens, with shops at Via B. Michelotti 25 (tel. 075-972-277) and Via Umberto I 16 (tel. 075-972-4027); and Miriam, where at Marcella Favaroni's Via Umberto I 15 shop (tel. 075-971-1452) she paints vividly colorful and intricate patterns at half the prices most shops charge. Her husband's shop at Piazza dei Consoli 26 (tel. 075-971-1210) carries more traditional pieces and quality Renaissance reproductions. To get a sense of the evolution of ceramics, visit the Museo Regionale della Ceramica (Regional Museum of Ceramics), Largo San Francesco (tel. 075-971-1000), which houses a precious collection of Deruta ceramics of various periods from the Middle Ages to the 1930s. April through September, it's open daily from 10:30am to 1pm and 3 to 6pm; October through March, hours are Wednesday through Monday 10:30am to 1pm and 3:30 to 7pm (check for shorter hours off season). Admission is 3€ ($3.90).
